Friday, January 25, 2013

The 100 and 50K Celebration And Contest

Two great reasons for celebrating occurred this week. This silly blog reached 100 followers this week, the 100th being a chap named Friendly Fire, so welcome aboard and thank you. I hope you don't mind if I call you Friendly?The other milestone was reaching 50,000 page views, which to me is even more exciting than numbers of followers.Most wargaming blogs usually mark these sorts of milestones with some sort of contest, and I would like thank everyone who reads this blog. So here's what I propose.Write a poem (free verse, rhyming couplets, haiku, sonnet, limerick, rap) about something you've seen or read about anywhere in this blog. If you're shy, you can simply email it to me at madpadre atsymbol gmail dot com. If you're bold, you can show your creativity for all to see as a comment to this post. You have until Sunday, 2 March, to come up with something. Since not all poets are created equally, I will choose the three entries at random.In order of their selection, the first, second and third winners will get to choose one of these miniatures.

Great War Miniatures British WW1 motorcycle dispatch rider.

Bob Murch Pulp Figures Son of the Empire in pith helmet and tropical kit.

Bob Murch Pulp Figures Dangerous Dame on safari.But wait, that's not all! Each of these miniatures will be painted by this blog's humble proprietor and mailed to you if your entry is chosen.But wait, that's STILL not all! A bonus fourth prize will be given to the entry that amuses me and Mrs. Padre (who has been known to bust a rhyme herself). I'm not sure what this prize will be yet, but it will be at least as cool as the first three.And so dear readers, of this fine cadre,Who read these posts of one mad padre,Come stir your wits and rouse your inner bard!Do not be deterred, for rhyming's not hard.A simple verse may win you a casting,And earn you a poet's name long lasting.

The Padre needs a comment that's in verseA line or two from follower and friendA limerick perhaps, or would he be averseTo something cleverer, a fancy blendOf sonnet form, the pref'rence of the BardWith rhyming scheme that drives me round the bend.It's not that Terza Rima's really hard, though interwoven rhymes can drive you mad, and form, belov'd of Dante, leave you scarred.Still, hopefully, this poem's not too bad,And will show my admiration for your blog,(I'm dodging rhyming with that word: I'm glad.)And in the end, things could have been much worse:Fourteen lines is, after all, quite terse.